Man With Autism Makes Awesome Animation for Sesame Street

Mama Fry, a popular blogger who writes for The Mighty and also on her own site called Autism With a Side of Fries, joined her voice to the many who have been talking about Sesame Street’s new autism initiative. Mama Fry posted to her Facebook that the show’s animated short, called “Benny’s Story” was the coolest kid appropriate way to explain autism.

In the animation, which was created and voiced by a man with autism named Shane MacKaskle, a boy named Benny explains in his own words what having autism is like.

Many times I will hear from folks, “How do you explain autism to a child?” Well here is the probably the coolest kid…

Many times I will hear from folks, “How do you explain autism to a child?” Well here is the probably the coolest kid appropriate clip that does just that called “Benny’s Story” from the Sesame Street‪#‎SeeAmazing‬ autism initiative.
.
It is an animation created & voiced by Shane Mckaskle. Shane, who has autism, created the video through Exceptional Minds, a nonprofit vocational center and animation studio for young adults with autism to develop their artistic interests. And his classmates all pitched in to help bring his experience to life! Please watch, like, and share!

Melissa McGlensey is the former News Editor at The Mighty. Her writing can also be seen in Ms. Magazine, on the Ms.Magazine blog and in The Huffington Post’s Good News, Comedy and Impact sections. Melissa is also a New York City comedian who does sketch, improv and stand up. She is passionate about social justice, politics, Thai food, literature, disability rights and more. She is currently in a long-distance relationship with her cat, Sneakers, who lives in California. You can follow her on twitter at @OhHeyMeliss.

Truths People With PTSD Wish Others Understood

The Mighty partnered with the PTSD Support and Recovery Facebook page to ask people who live with post-traumatic stress disorder what they wish others could understand about it. This is what they had to say.